Shippers’ Authority boosts night operations to cut cargo delays
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has intensified night-time monitoring operations at the country’s ports as part of efforts to improve trade efficiency and support the government’s flagship 24-hour economy policy.
The authority explained that it had increased staff deployment and strengthened real-time regulatory oversight at the ports to help reduce cargo clearance delays, improve logistics coordination and ensure compliance with service standards during continuous port operations.
He stressed that uninterrupted monitoring was necessary because international shipping and cargo movements operated around the clock.
He stated that officers of the authority, clad in shipper-branded reflective apparel, were now actively monitoring activities at the seaport and airport during night operations to quickly identify bottlenecks and address operational challenges affecting shippers.
“The authority recognises that continuous port operations require equally continuous regulatory supervision to ensure compliance with service standards and operational efficiency,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GSA, Professor Ransford Edward Van Gyampo, said in a document prepared to brief the sector minister in Accra on May 12.
Broader efforts
Prof. Gyampo explained that the authority’s intensified night operations were part of broader efforts to align Ghana’s port systems with global trade practices under the 24-hour economy policy.
He stated that enhanced staffing levels and digital monitoring tools had been deployed to ensure real-time tracking of cargo movement and quicker resolution of operational bottlenecks affecting shippers.
Prof. Gyampo said the interventions were already helping to reduce delays, improve coordination among port stakeholders and strengthen service delivery standards across the logistics chain.
He said the authority would continue to expand its night-time presence to ensure that shippers received uninterrupted support regardless of operating hours at the ports.
“We are committed to ensuring that no cargo is delayed unnecessarily because of time constraints, and that shippers can access regulatory support at any hour of the day or night,” he added.
Digital systems
The CEO stated that there was a need to strengthen its digital platforms to ensure that shippers could access support services at any time of the day or night.
He said the Shippers App and dedicated complaint hotlines had become key tools in addressing trade-related challenges in real time.
He explained that these systems allowed importers, exporters and freight forwarders to report delays, excessive charges and operational bottlenecks without waiting for traditional office hours.
He said the integration of digital tools into port operations was improving transparency, responsiveness and accountability within the logistics chain.
“We are determined to ensure that technology becomes the backbone of our service delivery so that shippers are never left stranded, regardless of the hour,” he stated.
Prof. Gyampo stated that the authority’s reforms were also aimed at strengthening Ghana’s competitiveness as a regional logistics hub under the 24-hour economy agenda.
He explained that improved coordination among regulatory agencies, port operators and logistics service providers was critical to sustaining round-the-clock operations.